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Super Mario Run - Games of 2016

So much anticipation. So much hysterics. So much hype. In the end, Nintendo made a fun, dynamic mobile game. On the surface, it is a simple runner where you can jump and spin your way to the familiar flagpole at the end of the level. Dig a little deeper and you find challenging puzzles that will keep the struggle alive. Getting all three special coins for a level feels like an achievement worthy of the time you spent getting there.

As a developer, I was impressed at how “Mario” this game feels in Unity. I feel for the developers who had to tweak that system to get Mario to have the right jump that has been refined over the past three decades.

Toad Rally is the only part that is questionable. It is good, don’t worry. It is just a matter of whether you get sucked in by Nintendo’s odd take on competitive multiplayer. I have the same reservations about it as I did about Mario Kart’s ghost system. You are never quite sure if you are competing against a person or a computer or something in between. Just bask in the praise from the all the Toads and their undying love for you and have fun. Thanks for the mushrooms, Super Mario Run.